strange aggression issue

[cindy]

Hi everyone,
This is my first post and I'm hoping for advice. We have a 16 month old english Mastiff her name is Riley and she loves everyone she meets, she loves kids she is supper friendly with strangers her problem is she doesn't like her owners and it really hurts. If she is lying down and you go over to pat her she gives a slight growl if you call her over to pat her she approaches with her head down and if you try to lift her head to pat you get a growl. now the food issue she will eat from your hand with no problem but don't touch her head while she eats she will growl and snarl yet if you hold her bowl and she is eating out of that she will do the samething if you pat her but you can put your hand in her bowl and she will do nothing it seems this all started when she was 8 mos old and we brought 2 female yellow lab puppies in to the house.
Please help we are trying everything
Cindy​

 

[Laura_stillings]

I am certainly not an expert, but our English Mastiff is just the opposite. She has never been cross with any member of our family it is strangers she has a problem with. It seems like she feels she is the dominate one in your family. Someone with more knowledge than myself will have to tell you how to correct this.
Good luck.

 

[Marrowshard]

I wonder if it's a spinal/neck problem ... in your details, it seems like she gets growly when you lift her head (flexing the neck), touch the top of her head (light downward pressure), etc. but doesn't react when she moves her head on her own to eat or when walking. She comes right to you when you call her and eats out of hand, so you'd think that if she didn't like you she'd just walk away or not come in the first place. It is strange, and it makes me wonder if she hasn't got maybe a disc out of whack or something that's causing pain when you move her head around. I'd take her to the vet for a neck-and-back check before you assume she's being agressive.

~Marrow

 

[Kandie]

I wonder if it's a spinal/neck problem ... in your details, it seems like she gets growly when you lift her head (flexing the neck), touch the top of her head (light downward pressure), etc. but doesn't react when she moves her head on her own to eat or when walking. She comes right to you when you call her and eats out of hand, so you'd think that if she didn't like you she'd just walk away or not come in the first place. It is strange, and it makes me wonder if she hasn't got maybe a disc out of whack or something that's causing pain when you move her head around. I'd take her to the vet for a neck-and-back check before you assume she's being agressive.

~Marrow

Wow! I never would have guessed that! Very interesting.

 

[Caleb]

Yes...My dog is not aggressive at all, over food or anything, but I once opened a door over the top of his foot when he was about a year old, and broke his toe....He got really mad when you would touch it. I thought he was gonna bite the vet. So thats a possibility, but as far as food aggression goes, with people.....I would have a zero tolerance for that!

 

[moose]

I wonder if it's a spinal/neck problem ... in your details, it seems like she gets growly when you lift her head (flexing the neck), touch the top of her head (light downward pressure), etc. but doesn't react when she moves her head on her own to eat or when walking. She comes right to you when you call her and eats out of hand, so you'd think that if she didn't like you she'd just walk away or not come in the first place. It is strange, and it makes me wonder if she hasn't got maybe a disc out of whack or something that's causing pain when you move her head around. I'd take her to the vet for a neck-and-back check before you assume she's being agressive.

~Marrow

This was the first thing I thought as well, just seemed to all be happening when her head is involved.

 

[cindy]

Hi
We also thought of that but even when she is lying down and you go over to her she wants to get up and move. If I get the chance to lay with her I would put my head on her stomach(she is on her side) little growl then I will start rubbing her paws she will growl a little but If I don't stop she will eventualy stop growling I really think she is just trying to be dominent and we don't know how to fix it she probably gets more affection then discipline. We also thought maybe thyroid also she doesn't growl at strangers when they pat her head.

 

[Cody]

Could you explain this sentence?
"I really think she is just trying to be dominent and we don't know how to fix it she probably gets more affection then discipline"
Cause if you meant how it sounds, it makes no sense. You obviously know how to "fix" it.
What do you do with the dog as far and training and exercise go?

 

[cindy]

Its like this we have always had dogs that were very affectionate and we love to pat, hug, kiss and just show alot of affection. Riley doesn't seem to want that. We try not to give her attention when she looks for it we want her to want affection when we want to give it to her but it is hard because she only wants it when she wants it. Do you know what I mean.

 

[Caleb]

I kinda know what you mean. My dog was pissed that we took him away from his mother and he pouted for a while, and never was a very affectionate dog. He still isnt a big pet. Thats just his personality, but I know he loves living with us. He gets exited to play fetch, or go for a ride, and he loves to hunt, but he could care less about getting pet. I have to corner him to pet him, and I love annoying him that way. He has never been aggressive. When a dominant breed tries to get aggressive, you have to be AGGRESSIVE! I dont abuse my dog, but when a pack order is established in the wild, its done through fighting and pain. Im not passive when it comes to discipline...Ive said before...positive reinforcement is for good behavior, but when a dog is growling at its owner, its time to bring the hammer down. The way I grew up, dogs that were aggressive, didnt make it, if you know what I mean.

---------- Post added at 07:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:37 PM ----------

But if its a neck problem, thats a whole different story, and a sad one.

 

[Caleb]

But if its a neck problem, thats a whole different story, and a sad one.

 

[Cody]

I would get a vet to check her to rule out a spinal neck problem.
But still my question is what do you do with her as far as training and exercise go?

 

[cindy]

Thanks Caleb I think you understand and your right she loves to play and go for rides and walks she just doesn't seem to like affection, which is fine but I want to nip the growling before it gets worse. Cody, as for training she has been through obedience classes and is actually ready for her good citizens ship test my son can even walk her off leash. She gets walked at least once a day weather permittingand we have a big fenced in back yard that she can run in a built in pool for her to swim on hot days. It seem she just doesn't like being touched when she was younger it wasn't an issue as she is getting older its becoming and issue example when I dry off her paws after a walk in the rain I get a slight growl when she was younger never and issue. Could it be adolescence and she will out grow it?

 

[Caleb]

This is wierd...I just remembered and old half Rott, half Chow that my wife's grandfather had that growled when he pet her. He said it was her "happy growl". She was never mean to him. Just a wierd thought.

 

[Ripsmom]

if she doesn't have any physical problems it sounds like a little dominance issue, which would explain her exhibiting this behavior with you but not others . dominant dogs usually do not have issues with strangers because they have no relationship with them and therefore feel no need to exert the behavior, dominant dogs most often behave that way with their own people. you might want to start some training and other behavioral exercises in order for her to learn her place.

---------- Post added at 10:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:06 AM ----------

This is wierd...I just remembered and old half Rott, half Chow that my wife's grandfather had that growled when he pet her. He said it was her "happy growl". She was never mean to him. Just a wierd thought.

I don't know if I buy into that, dogs don't generally give happy growls unless it's a groan and not a growl, rotti's and chows tend to be growly anyway doesn't mean they are happy it usually is a sign of the dog saying "bug off and leave me alone" just because the dog never bit doesn't mean he wasn't telling the person where to go.

 

[Ripsmom]

This is wierd...I just remembered and old half Rott, half Chow that my wife's grandfather had that growled when he pet her. He said it was her "happy growl". She was never mean to him. Just a wierd thought.

I don't know if I buy into that, dogs don't generally give happy growls unless it's a groan and not a growl, rotti's and chows tend to be growly anyway doesn't mean they are happy it usually is a sign of the dog saying "bug off and leave me alone" just because the dog never bit doesn't mean he wasn't telling the person where to go.

 

[suzu600r]

Caleb I have to agree with you on the "happy growl". We also have a german rottie and she growls when she is excited. She talks to us with a growl and when we walk in the door and she is trying to wag her "tail" she is growling too. She loves her walks and when you put on her chain she is excited and growls too. I don't have another dog that does that but she growls all the time when happy. Never bit anyone and never tries to bite you when she growls. Never shows her teeth either. Super good girl just growls alot.

---------- Post added at 03:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:58 PM ----------

By the way not saying thats the case with all dogs that growl just my dog.

 

[suzu600r]

By the way not saying thats the case with all dogs that growl just my dog.

 

[Caleb]

I don't know if I buy into that, dogs don't generally give happy growls unless it's a groan and not a growl, rotti's and chows tend to be growly anyway doesn't mean they are happy it usually is a sign of the dog saying "bug off and leave me alone" just because the dog never bit doesn't mean he wasn't telling the person where to go.

I might not have bought into it either...but I witnessed it. "Seeing isn't believing....Its knowing." That dog loved that man. That being said, the growl that the dog gave me wasnt happy and I hated its guts! You are right about Rotties and chows....especially chows! I think they are useless, fuzzy noise. LOL.

 

[BradA1878]

Could you explain this sentence?
"I really think she is just trying to be dominent and we don't know how to fix it she probably gets more affection then discipline"...

I agree with Cody, I'd like more info on the above quote. How do you "discipline" your dog?

Also, don't get caught up in the alpha/dominance meme. The dominance hierarchy concepts have been debunked by science since the late 70s. Domestic canine do not always follow strict dominance-based social structures, and in the few cases where they do it doesn't cross the species barrier (like from human to dogs). Also, dominance, as it's defined in ethology, has NOTHING to do with dog training.

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